EV Charging Design and Build for BP Petrol Station Forecourts

About the project

Principal contractor Black & Veatch contracted Enable Infrastructure (formerly BCM Construction) to work on the roll-out of electric vehicle (EV) charging points to existing BP petrol station forecourts across the United Kingdom. Enable Infrastructure secured contracts under both Step 1 (detailed design) and Step 2 (construction) of Black & Veatch’s invitation to tender. The construction scope of works included site preparation, civils and electricals. 

This complex project is especially noteworthy because of the client’s requirements that the petrol stations remain fully operational and open to the general public during the works.  

The new charging points have also had to be carefully integrated alongside existing infrastructure to ensure that easy access is provided both for electric and non-electric vehicles, and to provide safe paths of travel for drivers and passengers from their vehicle to the station’s payment point and convenience store. 

Our Enable Power Systems teams are extensively involved in the project. As Enable Infrastructure (formerly known as BCM Construction) is a NICEIC-approved company, they were able to certify the works prior to connection to the DNO (distribution network operator) network. 

After a series of reviews and workshops with the client to agree the design format, Enable Design (formerly Equate Design) have completed 60 detailed designs. 

Similarly, our stakeholder management programme to integrate Enable processes into the construction works has involved extensive pre-planning, workshops and weekly stakeholder engagement meetings. We have completed 35 installations during the first six months of the project. 

We have also added value for the client by assisting other parties involved in the programme in the interests of getting the job done: this has involved deploying our own resources to undertake other contractors’ scope when they were struggling with supply chain issues in this niche market. 

Enable Infrastructure are successfully delivering an innovative project in this fast-growing sector by deploying the expertise and experience of teams across the Enable Group. 

The challenge

• The widespread locations of the sites around the UK 
• Frequent lack of survey data and other necessary information for long-existing forecourts
• Continuity issues when we had to take on designs completed by outside designers 
• Maintaining access and egress to the forecourts and payment point/stores, often for 24 hours a day 
• The specialist training required for work at petrol stations 
• Limited international availability of certain required materials. 

The solution

With our robust supply chain, we were able to commit the necessary resources to overcome the geographical challenge. We undertook our own surveys and used GPR (ground penetrating radar) and GI to mitigate the site data deficiencies. Design consistency and continuity were ensured through a combination of workshops, site visits and design reviews. Pre-planning and extensive liaison with the client and with the petrol station store managers helped us maintain access. We carried out the necessary access and electrical training across both management and our UK-wide supply chain. Finally, we worked collaboratively with other contractors regarding the procurement of materials to ensure that we could all accomplish the same goal. 

The deliverables

• Construct foundations and install LV pillars to accommodate the supply and metering 
• Provide power to new chargers on BP forecourts 
• Install and commission chargers 
• Provide new lighting and safety bollards to minimise the risk of collision for members of the public 
• Construct new parking adjacent to the chargers, with suitable surfacing/lining & signage 
• Install suitable earthing 
• Install cabling and ducting back to the forecourt convenience store.